


What Happens at Daley Ranch

by SpenceRose



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Slow Burn, Un-needed ranch au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-07-24
Packaged: 2018-03-31 08:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3971827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpenceRose/pseuds/SpenceRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedidiah worked on a ranch owned by Larry Daley and his son Nicky. It was a great place.</p><p>Then Octavius and Ahkmenrah showed up.</p><p> </p><p>Or: The unnecessary Ranch AU you didn't realize you needed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daley Ranch

Jedidiah loved his job. He worked on a ranch owned by Larry Daley and his son Nicky. It was a great place. He maintained the ranch and animals and stayed in a small building that had a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. He had insisted that staying there and eating with them was payment enough but Mr. Daley had insisted that he give him pay.

The day was promising to be a cold one. It was the middle of November and Jedidiah got up and ready for the day at the crack of dawn. He patted Cooper, his cat, on the head as he put a bowl of cat food next to him and pulled on his boots. He got out and began to feed the animals.

"Hey, Railroad," he smiled as he patted the horse. He threw the hay into the feeding trough and brushed his hands on his pants. He finished the horses and moved onto the chickens. When he was done feeding, he walked up to the main house. He slipped off his gloves and set them on the porch railing before stepping inside.

"Hey, Jed," Larry grinned, looking over from where he was cooking.

"Mornin', Mr. Daley," he smiled.

"I've told you to call me Larry," he frowned, setting a plate of pancakes on the table.

"Sorry," Jed smiled sheepishly. He looked over as a young boy walked down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. "Hey, Nicky."

"Hi, Jedidiah," Nicky yawned. He hugged Jedidiah and smiled up at him, still a little drowsy. They walked to the table and sat down, Larry joining them with a cup of coffee.

In all honesty, it was nice to eat with people again. Jedidiah often thinks back to the men he worked for before he met Larry. They never socialized with him and were more often than not out doing whatever. Jedidiah often found himself sitting in the barn, eating alone as they would not allow him to have an animal. Jedidiah shook himself out of those memories and bit off a piece of bacon.

"I'm gonna have to run into town today," Larry said as breakfast was finished. "Anything you need, Jed?"

"No," he answered, carrying his plate to the sink. "Nothing comes to mind."

"Alright. Let me know if anything does," Larry told him.

Jedidiah grunted in reply and picked his hat up from the table. He placed it back on his head and started towards the door.

"Oh, and can you check on Rexy? The poor guy's been favoring his right front leg," Larry called.

"Will do," Jedidiah shouted back and slipped out the door. A few minutes later, he heard Larry's car drive off and he headed towards the barn. He opened the door and a golden lab bounded out. Jedidiah scratched him affectionately behind the ears. "Hey, Rex. Let's see what's going on with your paw."

He walked in and sat on a haybale, pulling the dog onto his lap go examine his foot. He dodged lick attempts at his mouth and struggled with a squirming dog to look at his foot.

"There we are. You got a burro tangled in your fur," he smiled. He set about untangling it, which took a substantial amount of time. Eventually, he finished and Rexy bolted out the door, to terrorize some poor squirrel no doubt.

Jedidiah chuckled and followed him out. Cooper was lounging in the Sun and seemed to be watching Rexy with uninterest. That is, until the latter pounced on him and a wrestling match ensued. He chuckled to himself and checked the animals' waters. Once he was sure they were all full, he set about cleaning out pens.

"Hi, Jed!" an enthusiastic voice called. He looked over and smiled at Nicky, who was jogging over.

"Hey, kid," he grinned, leaning against the rake. "What can I do for ya?"

"I was wondering," he began sheepishly. "Can I ride Destiny?"

Jedidiah's eyebrows shot up.

"Kid, you know that horse don't like no one," he stated, frowning a little. "I can't let you on her."

"But-" he began.

"No buts. Sorry, kiddo," he smiled apologetically. "But it's too dangerous."

"I know," Nicky sighed, leaning his chin on the fence. Jedidiah chuckled.

"I'll let you know when she's broke, alright?" he stated.

"Okay!" he shouted excitedly. Jedidiah laughed and shook his head, beginning to get back to work.

"Now why don't you come help me? I sure could use it," he suggested. Nicky nodded and grabbed another rake.

Roughly an hour later, they sat in the grass with Cooper and Rexy curled up next to them. Jedidiah stood up and grabbed a stick that leaned against the tree and threw it. Rexy took off like a bullet while Cooper watched him with judging eyes.

They heard the sound of a car and Nicky ran towards it. Rexy followed him and Jedidiah chuckled with a fond shake of his head before he and Cooper followed as well.

"It really isn't necessary, Mr. Daley. We would be quite alright staying in town," a strange voice asked as he entered the house. Two men stood with Larry in the living room.

"Please, call me Larry," he smiled. "And I'm afraid there isn't a place to stay in town. It's hunting season and everywhere is full. It's no trouble at all, really."

Larry disappeared somewhere and Jedidiah walked over to the two men. They glanced at him and he smiled at them.

"Jedidiah," he said, holding out his hand. "Friends call me Jed."

"Ahkmenrah," the first one said, shaking his hand. "This is Octavius."

"Pleased to meet you," Jedidiah smiled at them. Octavius gave a curt nod and Jedidiah found he didn't like the man that much. He glanced at the men again before walking out of the house.

_-*-_

The Sun was sinking low on the horizon and Jedidiah was sitting in front of what had come to be his home. He listened to the crickets and the occasional horse whinny. It was a beautiful night. He leaned his head back and pushed his hat forward to cover his eyes. He was prepared to fall asleep if the quiet hadn't been interrupted.

"I understand," a voice said. Jedidiah got to his feet and walked forward to see Octavius standing under a tree with a phone to his ear. "Yes, sir, We were on our way but... I know, sir. The car, it broke- I understand. Of course."

He finally hung up and sighed. He put his phone in his pocket and rubbed his temples. Jedidiah shook his head and prepared to head back.

"Eavesdropping is considered rude, you know."

He turned to face the other man, who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Then you may want to keep your conversations low, boy," He retorted. Octavius looked indignant and turned to walk back up to the house. Jedidiah huffed and walked back to his place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is kind of slow. Sorry about that.  
> More moments between Jed and Octvaius to come!
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated!


	2. The Horse is a Traitor

The next morning, he woke up just as the Sun's first rays were peaking over the mountains. He got dressed and fed Cooper before walking out into the early morning sunlight. He smiled and went through his morning routine. He fed the animals and gathered eggs from the chickens. As he finished, he walked up to the house and walked into the kitchen, placing the eggs in a container.

"Hey, Jed," Larry smiled. Nicky looked up from where he was sitting and smiled at him.  

"Mornin', Larry, Nicky," he said. He got a cup of coffee and sat next to Nicky. Ahkmenrah walked in and smiled at them.

"Good morning," he greeted and Octavius trailed in after him.

"Morning," Larry smiled. "Coffee?"

"Yes please," He grinned. Jedidiah rose an eyebrow at the two and glanced at Nicky, who was watching the two men with interest.

Breakfast, which used to be Jedidiah's favorite part of the day, was quiet and tense. At least for him and Octavius. Ahkmenrah and Larry were talking as if they had known each other for years. Finally, when he couldn't take anymore, he excused himself and went back outside. An hour later, Larry came out to him.

"Jed, their car broke down. I was wondering if you could take a look at it," He asked.

"No problem, Larry," Jedidiah smiled, tipping his hat back slightly. The sooner they got out of here, the better. Larry smiled and headed back up to the house.

_-*-_

Octavius leaned against the wall as he watched Ahk and Larry talk. He frowned and Larry finally excused himself. Ahk watched him and Octavius rolled his eyes.

"You realize we can't stay here. Flirting with him is a waste of time," he stated dryly. Ahh turned and frowned at him.

"I'm not flirting," he stated firmly.

"That wasn't flirting?" Octavius asked, his eyebrows raising. Ahk shrugged.

"Maybe your version of flirting is different than mine," he smiled. Octavius rolled his eyes.

"Obviously," he muttered. "I'm going to take a walk."

He walked through the kitchen and grabbed an apple from a bowl on the counter. He put his hand in his pocket and bit into the apple. He wandered into the stable and smiled.

"Hey, big guy," he said as he patted a large brown horse. The horse whinnied and nuzzled his cheek. He chuckled and glanced at a gorgeous paint. He walked over and the horse looked up almost lazily. "Hey, girl."

The horse got to her feet and sauntered over to him. He held out his hand and she looked at it. She blew air out her nostrils and brought her head away from him.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered. She looked at him and then back at his hand. "Oh, you want the apple?"

He smiled and offered it to her. She looked at it and stepped forward. She ate the apple and stepped forward so his hand bumped her nose.

"There you go, girl," he smiled, gently petting her nose. "Aren't you a pretty one."

Someone cleared his throat and he jumped. The horse backed away and he turned to see Jedidiah standing in the doorway.

"What ya think yer doin'?" He asked, walking further inside.

"I was just petting this horse. She's a very beautiful Paint," he stated, turning back to the horse.

"She is but she's also very dangerous," he stated, walking over to the brown horse. Octavius smiled at the horse and held out his hand again. She whinnied and stepped forward, allowing him to scratch between her ears.

"She pretty docile to me," he stated and she snorted.

"Looks can be... What ya doin'?" Jedidiah asked, alarmed. He walked over and stared at the two. "How on earth did you get her to let you touch her?"

"I gave her an apple," he shrugged. He glanced over at the other man. "Is it truly that astonishing?"

"She wouldn't let anyone near her," Jedidiah nodded. "She must really like you."

"Like I said, I just bribed her with an apple," Octavius smirked, still stroking her nose. She whinnied and Jedidiah shook his head. "What's her name?"

"Destiny," he answered. Octavius smiled at Destiny. "Anyway, I'm going to start working on your car."

He tipped his hat and left the barn, grabbing what looked like a pair of gloves. Octavius watched him leave and bit his lip.

"Oh Lord," He sighed, looking back at Destiny. "Why on earth did he have to be so cute?"

Destiny whinnied and he shook his head.

_-*-_

Jedidiah walked into the garage and glared at the fancy car. Cooper looked up lazily from where he was napping on the counter.

"Destiny, the God damn traitor," Jedidiah seethed as he popped the hood. "Wouldn't let anyone near her for years and then he shows up and she's all buddy buddy."

He looked around the engine and went hunting for his tools.

"I mean, who does he think he is?" he huffed. He rummaged around on his work bench. "Where are those fucking tools?"

Cooper meowed and he looked over at where he was. The tools were next to his twitching tail.

"Right," he pouted. He walked over and grabbed the tools, bringing them closer to the car. "Mister hotshot. Honestly, I'm the one who's qualified to handle animals and  just waltzes in here. What does he know that I don't?"

He looked over at Cooper, who yawned.

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Nothing! I mean, what's wrong with him? Just walking up to a horse like that!"

Cooper mewed and Jedidiah sighed.

"You're not helping, Coop. I mean, sure, he's got those big brown eyes and that smile that makes you go weak in the...but he's still a bullheaded city slicker."

Cooper purred and Jedidiah glared at him.

"If you like him so much, why don't you go stay with him?"

A hiss this time.

"What are talking about? I don't like him. Did you not just hear me? He's bullheaded and...and... God, I'm not even convincing myself."

Cooper got up and leaped over to land on the edge of the car. Jedidiah scratched him between the ears and sighed.

"The sooner I get this car fixed, the sooner he gets out of my hair."

Cooper bit him and he yanked his hand away.

"Ouch! Well, if you have a better idea, I would love to hear it!"

Cooper looked up at him.

"That's ridiculous. I can't just..."

"Jed, are you okay?"

He looked up to see Nicky standing in the doorway.

"Nicky!" he exclaimed. "What's up, buddy?"

"I just came to see what you're doing," he answered. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, just Cooper," he said, nodding to the cat, who was lazily licking his paw.

"Um, okay?" Nicky frowned. He walked over and sat down on the chair Jedidiah kept there.

"So what's the real reason you're here, kid?" Jedidiah asked, turning back to the car.

"Dad and Ahk are inside flirting very badly," he stated. Jedidiah snorted in laughter.

"Seriously? I saw how they were looking at each other but they haven't made a move yet?" He asked.

"If there's one thing Dad isn't good at it's romance," Nicky sighed, shaking his head.

"I've noticed," Jedidiah grunted as he leaned over to get deeper into the car. After an hour or two of working and small talk, he straightened up and turned to Nicky. "Is there any chance your dad was able to not be distracted by Ahk long enough to make dinner?"

"Hopefully," Nicky smiled. 


	3. Larry and Ahk

Nicky and Jedidiah walked up to the house and Jedidiah stuffed his gloves into his pocket as they walked in. Ahk and Larry were in the kitchen, chatting about who knows what.

Dinner went without much incident. Very little conversation went on except with Larry and Ahkmenrah, who couldn't seem to shut up. That was just fine for Jedidiah. He watched the two interact.

Ahk laid a hand on Larry's arm as they talked and Larry would smile brilliantly, far bigger than Jedidiah had ever seen. He rolled his eyes at how the two grown men were acting like teenagers but he was happy for Larry. He hadn't seen the man this happy in the two years they knew each other.

"So you work in New York?" Larry asked.

"Yeah," Ahk smiled. "My parents have a company that we both work for."

"Really?" Larry asked.

"We were actually on our way to a business meeting," he explained. "But then the car broke down."

Octavius nodded, his chin resting on his fist as he picked at his food. He felt uneasy here. The only person he ever felt comfortable around was Ahk.

"Don't worry. Jedidiah will get it up and running in no time," Larry assured them. Jedidiah glanced up from his plate at the sound of his name and nodded.

Dinner ended and they cleaned up. Octavius excused himself and went outside. He walked to a tree on the edge of the property and leaned against it as he stared at the fields.

Something rubbed against his leg and he looked down to see an orange tabby cat purring against him. He smiled and crouched down to scratch it between the ears. He sat down and the cat curled up on his lap.

"Comfortable?" he chuckled, gently petting it. It mewed and rubbed against his hand. He smiled and looked back across the fields. "Beautiful, is it not?"

"Sure is."

Octavius has no idea why his first instinct was to look down at the cat he had been addressing. He then looked over his shoulder and noticed Jedidiah who was leaning against the tree.

"Do you have a habit of talking to strange animals?" He asked.

"None have given me a reason not to," he replied, scratching the cat between the ears. It purred and looked up at Jedidiah (a bit smugly, Jedidiah thought).

"No doubt you'll meet one who will one day," He shrugged. "They're not all gonna like you."

It was silent for a moment, the only sounds being a few crickets and purring. Jedidiah studied Cooper and Octavius and shook his head. It had taken months for that cat to warm up to him and now he was curled up on the lap of someone who had just showed up not even a day ago.

"It's getting late," Octavius said suddenly. Cooper jumped off his lap as he stood up and he offered Jedidiah a small smile. "I'll see you in the morning."

Jedidiah could only nod before his attention was stolen by the cat scaling up his back. Cooper then perched on his shoulder and he rolled his eyes. He looked back at Octavius, who was already almost to the house.

"Ya know, I blame you for this," Jedidiah told Cooper, crossing his arms. The cat just mewed and licked his paw. Jedidiah sighed and walked to his house.

_-*-_

Jedidiah watched Larry with an unamused look on his face as the other man talked animatedly with Ahkmenrah. Why couldn't he just ask him out already and spare the rest of them? Ahk stood up and went to find Octavius with Larry staring after him with a goofy smile on his face.

"Are you going to ask him out soon or leave us all to suffer while you two beat around the bush?" Jedidiah asked. Larry's eyes widened.

"I, uh, you, I mean, what?" He stammered. Jedidiah rolled his eyes.

"It's not like he'll say no. The man's got it bad for you. Almost as bad as you got it for him," He said. Larry looked back the way Ahkmenrah had gone then back to Jedidiah.

"You really think I should?" he asked. Jedidiah nodded.

"Like I said, no way he'll say no. Just try it."

Larry still seemed hesitant. He looked down at his hands as he though for a few moments.

"I'm not good at things like this. I'll probably mess it up."

"You will mess it up of you don't do anything."

"But, let's just I do ask him out and he does say yes, what would we even do?"

"You would take him on a picnic. From what I can tell, he's grown up in the city and would love to see the wilderness," Jedidiah stated as he turned back to the horse he had been grooming.

"I don't know. Are you sure I should do this?" Larry asked, scratching the back of his neck. Jedidiah turned and fixed him in a stern gaze.

"Honestly, if I were you, I would want to make a move before they leave," he said. "Once I get the car up and running, he's as good as gone."

"You're right," Larry sighed. "I'll ask him today."

"Now," Jedidiah said firmly. "Go find him. Pull him away from Octodork if you have to but ask him now."

Larry hesitated and Jedidiah sighed. He placed his hands on Larry's shoulders and began to push him up to the house where Ahk and Octavius had been talking. They looked at them as two other men approached them.

"Ahk, Larry here needs to talk with you," Jedidiah smiled, ignoring Larry's seething glare. Ahk looked at Larry expectantly.

"I, uh, can I talk to you alone?" Larry said lamely. Ahk nodded and followed him away From Jedidiah and Octavius.

"Please tell me he's going to ask him out," Octavius said. Jedidiah laughed and nodded, tilting his hat up to get a better look at Octavius.

"That's the plan," Jedidiah stated when He realized he had been staring. "Larry just needed a push in the right direction."

"I would say it was more than a push," Octavius mused. "Ahkmenrah himself had to be shoved forcefully before he admitted to anything."

Jedidiah laughed and Octavius smiled at him. Maybe they could be friends.


	4. A Shove

"Come on, Destiny," Jedidiah grunted as He attempted to pull her out of the stall. "You can't stay cooped up in there forever."

Destiny took a step forward that he wasn't expecting and he fell backwards, landing on his butt.

"Having trouble, are we?"

He turned and glared at Octavius. He stood up and brushed his pants off and adjusted his hat.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he snapped. Octavius put his hands up as he walked farther into the barn. 

"I thought you could use the help," He smiled. Jedidiah studied him for a second then looked back at Destiny.

"She likes you a lot more than she does me," he mused. "Maybe you could help me get her out to the corral with Railroad and Roper."

Octavius nodded and stepped forward to Destiny. It took a lot of coaxing and treats to get her out and Jedidiah's backside became increasingly familiar with the ground. He finally gave up and allowed Octavius to handle her alone. He stood to the side and watched the stop and go progress that wad being made.

Finally, Octavius led Destiny into the large corral with the other two horses. He carefully removed the halter and turned to go. Before he could step away, Destiny nudged his shoulder. He turned and patted her nose. Jedidah watched the interaction with a crooked smile on his face. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Octavius asked as he hung the halter and lead rope on a post near the pen. Jedidiah looked at the horses and felt the tips of his ears burn. 

"'M just impressed is all," he answered. Octavius nodded and they headed towards the garage. Jedidiah opened the door and held it open for Octavius to walk in. He looked the car over and turned to Jedidiah.

"So how's it going?" he asked. Jedidiah walked over to the front of the car, where the hood was still open. 

"It's an easy fix. I'm going to run into town to grab the part," he stated. Octavius walked up next to him to inspect the engine. "Should be no more than a day or so after before it's up and running."

"Not that I think it'll matter," Octavius stated, facing him. "If this date with Larry goes well, Ahk will probably want to stay longer."

"I don't think Larry will mind that," Jedidiah laughed. Octavius smiled and nodded. 

"Yes, he seemed quite taken with Ahk," he agreed. Jedidiah chuckled. 

"I've been working for him for a year and I've never seen him act like that," he stated. "Not even with that woman, Amelia."

"I'm pretty sure there's a big difference between Ahk and Amelia that may have played a part in that," Octavius pointed out. 

"Maybe," Jedidiah mused, an amused look on his face. It was silent for a moment. "Do you, uh, want to come to town with me to grab the part? Get away somewhere that isn't the ranch?"

"Sure," Octavius smiled. He liked the ranch but he would love to get away. 

"Alright," Jedidiah grinned. "We can go tomorrow. Town's a long way off."

_-*-_

Ahk gazed up at the clouds as Larry watched him. He was truly breathtaking.

Larry had taken Jedidiah's advice and had taken Ahk on a picnic. They had finished eating and were sitting on the blanket Larry had spread out. 

It was quiet, the wind almost the only noise. Larry had chosen a meadow a ways away from his ranch as the location and it was beautiful. Ahk's eyes had lit up the moment he saw it. 

"It's a beautiful day," Larry commented. 

"Yes," Ahk agreed. "The perfect day."

Larry grinned, a surge of giddiness welling up in him. Ahk looked over at him and smiled. Larry felt his heart stop as he smiled back. 

"It's a shame you have to leave soon," he said. Ahk's face fell and he looked down at the fabric beneath them. Idiot move, Daley, Larry thought to himself. 

"Yes, a shame," Ahk said, the bitterness seeping into his voice. He looked up at Larry then looked back up at the clouds. He flopped on his back and sighed. Larry laid next to him and gently intertwined their hands.

"I'm sorry," he said, squeezing his hand. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's not you," Ahk said, turning his head to look at him. "I don't really like working for my parents' company and they keep saying I will inherit it when they're gone."

"You don't want to," Larry stated. Ahk nodded and sighed.

"I just don't have the passion for It," he explained. "Not like my older brother does. For some reason, though, my parents picked me and I'm afraid that he hates me for it."

"Why don't you just tell them you don't want it?" 

"I've tried. They won't listen. They've made me out to be some sort of golden boy but..." He trailed off and sighed. He looked over at Larry and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't usually talk about this with anyone. Not even Octavius."

"It's completely understandable," Larry assured him. "Everyone goes through things. Before I came here, I had one dead end job to the next and I was struggling to make ends meet. I heard that I inherited this place and I figured I didn't have much to lose. If it weren't for Jedidiah, I would have left a long time ago."

"Good thing you didn't," Ahk smiled. "Then we might not have met. Remind me to thank Jedidiah."

Larry laughed and smiled at Ahk. They laid there for a several more minutes as the Sun started to set. Larry gently rubbed his thumb over the back of Ahk's hand as they watched it. Well, Ahk watched it. Larry watched Ahk. 

"Larry, I can see you out of the corner of my eye," he said. He turned his head and smiled at Larry as the man blushed. 

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I, uh, didn't mean to."

Ahk laughed and sat up. Larry sat up and scratched the back of his neck. 

"It's getting late," Ahk stated. "Maybe we should get back."

They cleaned up and Larry wrapped his arm around Ahk as they walked back to his car. The drive back was comfortably silent and they soon parked next to the house. Once inside, Larry became his usual awkward self. 

"So, I'll, uh, I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled. Ahk chuckled and nodded. 

"Yes," he agreed. "Tomorrow."

He gently kissed Larry's cheek and walked to the stairs. 

"Good night, Larry," he said and went up to his room. Larry lifted a hand to his cheek and smiled softly.


End file.
